Polo del '900

What Polo del '900 does

Polo del '900 is a non-profit cultural foundation established in 2016 and headquartered in Turin, Italy. The organization operates two historic palaces — Palazzo San Celso and Palazzo San Daniele, originally designed by architect Filippo Juvarra between 1716 and 1728 — as a free public cultural space oriented toward new generations, researchers, and the general public interested in 20th-century Italian history. The foundation is backed by three founding partners: the City of Turin (Città di Torino), the Piedmont Region (Regione Piemonte), and Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, with Intesa Sanpaolo as a supporting sponsor. Revenue is generated through institutional funding, space rentals at the historic venues, Art Bonus donations, and partnership sponsorships; public admission to the palaces is free.

The foundation's core digital asset is 9centRo, a digital archive platform developed with technology partner Promemoria srl that aggregates archival and bibliographic resources from 27 partner institutions across Piedmont and Liguria. The platform provides unified access to approximately 730,000 catalog records, 1,000 archive funds, and 91,000 images covering 20th-century Italian political, labor, and resistance history, with content licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA. Documented integrations are limited to Salesforce for event reservation, Google Calendar for event scheduling, and Google Analytics for usage tracking; no public API or AI capabilities are documented. Since 2023, the institution has coordinated the Rete integrata dei luoghi della Resistenza e della guerra, a regional network of WWII and Resistance heritage sites formalized with Regione Piemonte and multiple memory associations.

Polo del '900 reaches its audiences through a direct-to-consumer model: free on-site access to the palaces, the 9centRo digital platform, educational programs for schools, temporary exhibitions (e.g., '1946-2026: Donne al voto, nasce la Repubblica'), and a summer events program ('Temporale estivo 2026'). Primary customer segments are researchers and historians needing unified digital access to fragmented 20th-century archives, new generations and youth targeted through educational programming, and the general public attending exhibitions and events. The organization pursues a horizontal segmentation strategy with no commercial pricing tier, and is governed as a public-private foundation rather than a corporation.

Name

Polo del '900

Legal name

Fondazione Polo del '900

Website

https://polodel900.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Polo del '900 is a non-profit cultural foundation in Turin operating two historic Juvarra-designed palaces as free public spaces. It runs 9centRo, a digital archive aggregating 730,000+ records from 27 partner institutions across Piedmont and Liguria, focused on 20th-century Italian heritage.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Cultural Heritage Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Libraries and Archives (51921), Museums (712110)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Centers & Multidisciplinary Arts Institutions (THAJADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI), Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF)

Keywords

• Cultural heritage preservation
• Digital archive aggregation
• Public cultural programming
• Historical exhibition services
• Educational cultural outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Turin

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Institutional Funding: The institution receives funding from founding partners including Città di Torino, Regione Piemonte, and Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo to support its cultural programming and archival activities.
2. Space Rental: The institution offers spaces for rent at its historical venues (Palazzo San Celso and Palazzo San Daniele) for events and activities.
3. Art Bonus and Donations: The institution accepts donations and sponsorships through Art Bonus programs and partnership arrangements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Polo del '900 operates a free public cultural institution housed in two historic 18th-century palaces (Palazzo San Celso and Palazzo San Daniele) in Turin, offering exhibitions, educational programs, archive and library services, performances, and community events focused on 20th-century Italian history and civic memory. It also runs 9centRo, a digital archive platform that aggregates 730,000+ catalog records, 1,000 archive funds, and 91,000 images from 27 partner institutions across Piedmont and Liguria, providing unified digital access to Italian contemporary historical heritage.

Product overview

Polo del '900 operates a dual offering: a physical cultural center with two historic palaces (Palazzo San Celso and Palazzo San Daniele) providing free public access to exhibitions, educational programs, and archive services; and 9centRo, a digital archive platform that aggregates and provides access to archival holdings from 27 partner institutions across Piedmont and Liguria. The platform includes 730,000 catalog records, 1,000 archival funds, and 91,000 digitized images. The digital and physical components work together to preserve and disseminate 20th century Italian cultural heritage, with content licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 9centRo Digital Archive Platform A free digital archive hub that aggregates archival documents, photographs, audiovisual materials, and bibliographic resources from 27 partner institutions, providing researchers, historians, students, and the general public with unified access to Italian 20th-century historical documentation.
• Palazzo San Celso Venue Historic palace (1716-1728, designed by Filippo Juvarra) operated as a free public exhibition and event space for cultural activities related to 20th-century Italian history.
• Palazzo San Daniele Venue Historic palace (1716-1728, designed by Filippo Juvarra) housing an auditorium, gallery spaces, and courtyard used for free public performances, exhibitions, and cultural events.
• Space Rental Service Rental of event spaces within the historic Palazzo San Celso and Palazzo San Daniele buildings for conferences, performances, exhibitions, and cultural activities by organizations and event organizers.
• Educational Programs Educational activities, workshops, and school visit programs targeting students, schools, and young people, designed to engage new generations with 20th-century Italian history, resistance memory, and democratic heritage.
• Archive and Library Services On-site access to archival documents, specialized library collections, and research support services for scholars, researchers, and the public interested in 20th-century Italian contemporary history.
• Cultural Exhibitions Curated free public exhibitions on themes related to Italian 20th-century history, resistance, labor movements, women's suffrage, and democratic heritage, held in physical palace spaces and documented digitally.

Quantifiable outcome

• 27 partner archives aggregated in one digital platform
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

26 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Città di TorinocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner and co-founder of Polo del '900. The City of Turin provides institutional support and funding for the cultural institution's operations and programming at the historic palaces.
• Regione PiemontecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner and regional government supporter of Polo del '900. Piedmont Region provides institutional funding and coordinates the Rete integrata dei luoghi della Resistenza e della guerra initiative through the institution.
• Fondazione Istituto piemontese Antonio GramscicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor archive partner contributing significant holdings to the 9centRo digital platform. One of the 27 partner institutions in the archive network.
• ISTORETO - Istituto piemontese per la storia della Resistenza e della società contemporanea Giorgio AgosticoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchive partner contributing to the 9centRo digital network, focusing on Piedmont history of resistance and contemporary society.
• ANCR - Archivio nazionale cinematografico della ResistenzacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational cinematographic archive of the Resistance, contributing audiovisual materials to the 9centRo platform.
• Centro Studi Piero GobetticoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural institution partner with second headquarters located at Polo del '900, contributing archive materials and co-organizing events.
• Unione Culturale Franco AntonicellicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural association partner with founding roots dating to 1945, contributing to archive holdings and co-organizing cultural events at Polo del '900.
• Arci Torino apscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor cultural association coordinating 152 affiliated associations with over 60,000 members, co-organizing events and cultural activities at the venue.
• Consiglio regionale del PiemontecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPiedmont Regional Council co-signatory of the protocol establishing the Rete integrata dei luoghi della Resistenza e della guerra, coordinated by Polo del '900.
• Associazione Memoria della BenedictaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemory association part of the Rete integrata dei luoghi della Resistenza e della guerra network, documenting WWII and Resistance heritage sites.
• Fondazione Nuto RevelliminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation part of the Rete integrata dei luoghi della Resistenza e della guerra, dedicated to preserving Resistance memory.
• Casa della Resistenza di Verbania FondotoceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResistance memory center part of the Rete integrata dei luoghi della Resistenza e della guerra network.
• Comitato della Resistenza Colle del Lys ApsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResistance committee part of the Rete integrata dei luoghi della Resistenza e della guerra network.
• Memo4345, Comune di Borgo San DalmazzominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal memory initiative part of the Rete integrata dei luoghi della Resistenza e della guerra.
• Ecomuseo del rame, lavoro e Resistenza, Comune di AlpetteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEco-museum focused on copper work and Resistance history, part of the regional memory network.
• Memorial Cumiana - Centro di Documentazione ANPI sulla strage di CumianaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDocumentation center on the Cumiana massacre, part of the Rete integrata dei luoghi della Resistenza e della guerra.
• Promemoria srlcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner responsible for the design and development of the 9centRo digital archive platform (archivi.polodel900.it).
• Fondazione di studi storici Gaetano SalveminicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchive partner contributing holdings to the 9centRo platform, including UIL photography archives and political posters.
• Fondazione Carlo Donat-CattincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchive partner contributing the Settegiorni magazine collection (366 issues) and other Christian-democratic political materials.
• ISMEL - Istituto per la memoria e la cultura del lavoro, dell'impresa e dei diritti socialicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchive partner focused on labor, enterprise, and social rights history, contributing to the 9centRo digital platform.
• Museo diffuso della Resistenza della deportazione della guerra dei diritti e della libertàcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiffuse museum of Resistance and war memory, contributing to the archive network and memory preservation initiatives.
• Rete Archivi BiellesiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchive network from the Biella area contributing historical materials to 9centRo, including materials related to the 1968 flood.
• Archivio di Stato di TorinominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState Archive of Turin contributing to the 9centRo network with historical documentation.
• Politecnico di TorinominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical university contributing archive materials and hosting related research at the 9centRo platform.
• Fondazione 1563 per l'Arte e la Cultura della Compagnia di San PaolominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural foundation contributing to the archive network with art and cultural materials.
• ILSREC - Istituto Ligure per la Storia della Resistenza e dell'Età Contemporanea Raimondo RicciminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLigurian institute for Resistance and contemporary history, contributing to cross-regional archive network.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Europeana: Pan-European digital cultural-heritage platform aggregating millions of items from EU institutions. Comparable to the 9centRo digital archive as a heritage aggregation platform, but operating at a transnational scale and as an EU infrastructure layer rather than as a regional aggregator.

Direct peers

• Triennale Milano: Milan-based cultural institution hosting exhibitions, events, and educational programming around design and contemporary culture. Comparable as a free-access Italian cultural institution combining historic venue, exhibitions, and educational mission.
• MAXXI - Fondazione nazionale: Italy's national museum of 21st-century arts in Rome, operating as a foundation with museum, exhibitions, educational programs, and a public archive. Comparable as a state-supported Italian cultural foundation combining heritage venue, exhibitions, and educational outreach.
• Fondazione Feltrinelli: Italian cultural foundation managing extensive historical and political archives, hosting research programs and public events. Highly comparable to Polo del '900's archival aggregation and educational mission around Italian contemporary history.
• Fondazione Giorgio Cini: Italian cultural foundation based on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, combining historical archives, advanced research, and education in a prestigious heritage venue. It mirrors Polo del '900's model of uniting a historic physical complex with scholarly archives and public programming.
• Istituto Centrale per gli Archivi (ICAR): Italy's national archival authority coordinating the Sistema Archivistico Nazionale. Comparable as the national coordination body for Italian archives that 9centRo's aggregated archive network ultimately serves and interfaces with.
• Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana - Treccani: Italian cultural institution stewarding historical, encyclopedic, and archival knowledge with associated foundation structure and public programming. Comparable as an Italian cultural-heritage foundation combining archives, research, and public outreach.
• Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria di Torino: Turin's national university library housing major bibliographic and archival collections, serving researchers and the public. Comparable as a Turin-based archival institution serving researchers and the public, partially overlapping Polo del '900's bibliographic integration via SebinaOpac.

Regional players

• Museo Egizio: Turin-based museum institution and one of the city's principal cultural landmarks, combining exhibitions, educational programming, and public access. Comparable as a fellow Turin-based cultural institution with similar institutional governance and audience base.
• Museo Nazionale del Cinema: Turin-based national cinema museum housed in the Mole Antonelliana, combining exhibitions, educational programs, and archive access. Comparable as a fellow Turin cultural institution with exhibitions, education, and archival components sharing the same local audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Polodel900
• Facebookfacebook.com/ilpolodel900
• Instagraminstagram.com/ilpolodel900
• Xx.com/ilpolodel900

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Polo del '900